By the time that Greyciousness (1995 gray mare by Miswaki x Skatingonthinice, by Icecapade) produced G2 San Vicente Stakes winner The Factor in 2008, the broodmare was past her commercial peak.

In foal to a popular and commercial stallion like Stormy Atlantic at the Keeneland January sale in 2007, she brought only $47,000, for example. The Factor, who was a really nice foal, brought $50,000 in 2008, which is quite good for a foal by a $10,000 stallion. Yet her subsequent foal, by the stone-cold Cuvee, sold for $2,000.

And now the mare’s reputation has been reborn. As the dam of the most-watched 3yo sprinter of 2011, Greyciousness is a hot commodity once again. Her foal of 2010? A filly by Run Away and Hide who will be of interest to watch.

This is the 17th in a series of notes and impressions about the new stallions in Kentucky for 2009. The horses will be reviewed alphabetically.

Ready’s Image (2005 dark brown by More Than Ready out of Clever Phrase, by Clever Trick)

Stands at Walmac International for $12,500 live foal

An attractive, well-balanced horse, Ready’s Image was the pick of his sire’s yearlings in 2006, selling for $410,000, which was the highest price of 68 offered.

That price proved an accurate assessment of the colt’s qualities because he won his debut the following season, as well as the Sanford and Tremont stakes, placed second in the G1 Hopeful. He was quick and talented, and no doubt plenty of breeders will try to reproduce those qualities in matings with this horse.

And they should.

More Than Ready has been the most successful shuttle sire going to Australia since Danehill, and the only additional hurdle for the best son of Southern Halo is to get a son who has success at stud.

And wouldn’t it be ironic if that happened in the States, where More Than Ready’s profile is rather lower than in the Southern Hemisphere. That also was the case with Danehill until his SH results became too impressive to dismiss and brought a different level of mare to the stallion.

Standing 16.1 1/2 hands, Ready’s Image is a good-sized horse with a good depth of shoulder and an outstanding hindquarter. His strength and development across his hips indicates where this colt got his speed. He has tremendous raw power and ran like it.

The likelihood is that he will pass it on because Ready’s Image is out of a mare by Clever Trick, who also tended to produce strong, fast, precocious racers.

Red Giant (2004 chestnut by Giant’s Causeway out of Beyond the Sun, by Kingmambo)

Stands at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm for $7,500 live foal

Another son of the immensely popular Giant’s Causeway entering stud for 2009, Red Giant has the pedigree of a turf horse, being out of a mare by Kingmambo. And that is where he found his greatest success, racing especially well at extended miles, although he also carried his form 12 furlongs for a second-place in the G1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington.

Standing about 16 hands, Red Giant is named for the great fiery stars (beyond the sun), rather than for exceptional stature. Instead, the horse is a tidy, medium-sized animal with good balance.

He has a good length of hip and has strong development through his gluteal and hamstring muscles.

His most notable point of development is his hindquarters, which are needed to make a strong finish. And the horse is properly made to finish, with a good length of hind cannon and sturdy tendons.

Run Away and Hide (2006 bay by City Zip out of Jilted, by Runaway Groom)

Stands at Darby Dan Farm for $7,500 live foal

On the other side of the coin from Red Giant, Run Away and Hide is made for early speed. Although horses both have powerful engines, the son of City Zip is better fashioned for speed out of the gate with a slightly straight shoulder and well-proportioned limbs for swifter strides from the start.

In addition, the horse’s top line is set forward, with his hindquarters higher than his fore, and that body set encourages speed.

Although he had cracking speed in the early furlongs of a race, Run Away and Hide also has the strength and proportions through his hindquarters to continue well and finish out his races, which he did with success in each of his three starts.

His best effort was the Saratoga Special, where he defeated Breakwater Edison after looking like a speed horse who was going to be swamped in the stretch.

Like much of this branch of Mr. Prospector, Run Away and Hide is not correct. He toes out notably, more so through his right, and shows a good deal of action in front at the walk. Whether this has an effect on racing soundness is open to debate, as research has not been done to prove correlations between foreleg rotation and length of racing careers.